Mitchell of Maine Voted Senate Majority Leader : Articulate Liberal Beats Out Inouye, Johnston, Gets Mandate to Be Opposition Party Spokesman

Sen. George J. Mitchell (D-Me.), an articulate Yankee liberal in the mold of former Democratic presidential candidate Michael S. Dukakis, was chosen Senate majority leader Tuesday with a clear mandate to act as spokesman for the opposition party during the Administration of President-elect George Bush.

Mitchell, who will succeed Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) when the 101st Congress convenes in January, was elected by secret ballot over Sens. Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii and J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana. His assistant will be Sen. Alan Cranston of California, another liberal, who was reelected for an unprecedented seventh term.

Viewed as Sign

Coming just three weeks after Dukakis’ overwhelming defeat, the choice of a liberal Northeasterner as majority leader was viewed as a sign that Senate Democrats do not accept Bush’s contention that the election was a repudiation of liberalism.

In fact, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) characterized Mitchell’s victory as “a welcome signal that the liberal and progressive ideals of the Democratic Party have broad support among Senate Democrats from all parts of the country.”

Nevertheless, Mitchell, 55, a former federal judge with a well-earned reputation for polished oratory, is expected by his fellow senators to do a much better job than Dukakis of explaining the views of the Democratic Party--much as he succeeded in eloquently presenting their point of view a year ago during the Iran-Contra hearings.

According to Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), the Senate Democrats were looking for a majority leader who would be able to say to the Administration and the American people that “ ‘this is why we Democrats believe in what we are doing in the Senate,’ and do it in a way that avoids being pigeonholed, and sets forth the principles of the Democratic Party, does not run from them and at the same time explains them.

“There was a unanimous feeling, even among those who supported the other two candidates, that George Mitchell well fits that bill,” added Biden, who was an Inouye supporter.

After 12 years under Byrd’s leadership, according to Biden, the Democrats also were looking for “a freshness--a new break, a new start” that neither of the older, more conservative candidates offered.

Although he is clearly more liberal than his two opponents for majority leader, Mitchell has stood with the majority of his party more often than either Johnston or Inouye, according to a vote analysis by consumer advocate Ralph Nader’s Public Citizen.

In addition, some Democrats predicted that Mitchell’s approach to policy would be less liberal than he has been when he represented only the state of Maine. “I think you will see him become a centrist,” said Sen. David Pryor (D-Ark.). “He’s a little bit liberal, but he’s certainly not left wing.”

As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Mitchell has devoted much of his time in recent years to an unsuccessful attempt to fashion compromise legislation dealing with acid rain. As a member of the Finance Committee, he has tried without success to increase tax rates for the wealthiest taxpayers in the nation.

Begins Second Term

Mitchell, who is just beginning his second full term in the Senate in January, was a particular favorite among the younger senators, who are looking to him to run the Senate with a degree of efficiency that has been lacking in the past.

“I think we were looking for someone to run the Senate--to make the trains run on time, or maybe a little earlier,” said Sen. John B. Breaux (D-La.).

Although he is a relative newcomer to Senate membership, Mitchell began his political career 25 years ago by serving as an aide to then-Sen. Edmund S. Muskie (D-Me.). He was appointed to the Senate in 1980 when President Jimmy Carter chose Muskie to be secretary of state.

It was to Mitchell’s advantage in the race for majority leader that he was opposed by two relatively conservative senators, who split the conservative vote. Mitchell received 27 votes while Inouye and Johnston each got 14. Twenty-seven was one vote short of a majority, but Johnston and Inouye quickly withdrew without forcing a second ballot, and Mitchell was elected by acclamation.

Goes to Work

Minutes after the balloting, Mitchell already had turned his attention to the task ahead--representing the Democrats in negotiations with Bush on the budget.

“The Democrats await with interest and enthusiasm the proposals of the next Administration,” he declared. “We hope to cooperate with the new Administration to deal with the serious problems and important challenges facing our nation.”

The outcome of the majority leader’s race was a big disappointment for Inouye, who had long been viewed as heir-apparent to Byrd, and Johnston, 56, who had been campaigning for several years. Johnston was supported primarily by Southerners and Inouye, at 64 the oldest of the three, had the backing of some senators such as Biden who themselves aspire to be majority leader.

Cranston was reelected majority whip by a vote of 30 to 12 over Sen. Wendell H. Ford of Kentucky.

Pryor was chosen to be secretary of the Democratic caucus over Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont; Byrd was elected president pro tempore of the Senate without opposition; Sen. Alan J. Dixon of Illinois defeated Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga of Hawaii to become chief deputy whip, and Breaux was elected chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, defeating Sens. Thomas A. Daschle of South Dakota and Bob Graham of Florida.

Dole, Simpson Reelected

On the Republican side of the aisle, Minority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas and Assistant Minority Leader Alan K. Simpson of Wyoming were reelected without opposition.

Sen. John H. Chafee of Rhode Island defeated Sen. Frank H. Murkowski of Alaska as GOP conference chairman; Sen. William L. Armstrong was elected chairman of the policy committee; Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi was elected caucus secretary, and Sen. Don Nickels of Oklahoma defeated Sen. John McCain of Arizona to be chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.